Page:The Snake's Pass (Stoker).djvu/206

 he came over to me, and laying his hands, one of which grasped the deed, on my shoulders, said:—

"Thank God, Art, there need be no bitterness between me and thee—all is as you say, but oh! old fellow!"—and here he laid his head on my shoulder and sobbed—"my heart is broken! All the light has gone out of my life!"

His despair was only for a moment. Recovering himself as quickly as he had been overcome, he said:—

"Never mind, old fellow, only one of us must suffer; and, thank God! my secret is with you alone—no one else in the wide world even suspects. She must never know! Now tell me all about it; don't fear that it will hurt me. It will be something to know that you are both happy. By the way, this had better be torn up; there is no need for it now!" Having torn the paper across, he put his arm over my shoulder as he used to do when we were boys; and so we passed into the gathering darkness.

Thank God for loyal and royal manhood! Thank God for the heart of a friend that can suffer and remain true! And thanks, above all, that the lessons of tolerance and forgiveness, taught of old by the Son of God, are now and then remembered by the sons of men.